PlayerBay Blog

Category: Help

  • Sand Dollars and vouchers

    Sand Dollars are reward points. You earn them when an order completes, on the part you paid by card or another method. On your Rewards page you redeem them for a $5, $10 or $25 voucher. Activate the voucher and checkout applies its value to your next orders automatically.

    How you earn Sand Dollars

    Each order earns Sand Dollars on the amount you paid by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto or another method. Checkout shows the amount under Sand Dollars earned.

    • When they arrive: when the order completes, after its buyer protection ends. Not when you pay.
    • Bonus codes: some discount codes add extra Sand Dollars. Checkout shows the bonus when the code is applied.

    You don’t earn Sand Dollars on:

    • the part of an order paid with voucher credit;
    • orders under $1 after discounts and vouchers;
    • orders that are refunded or cancelled. They never complete, so nothing is earned and nothing is taken back later.

    Redeem them for a voucher

    Sand Dollars can’t be spent directly. You save them up and turn them into a voucher in fixed amounts:

    Voucher Costs
    $5 500 Sand Dollars
    $10 1,000 Sand Dollars
    $25 2,500 Sand Dollars
    1. Open your Rewards page.
    2. Under Redeem for a voucher, select the amount you want. If you don’t have enough yet, the page shows how many more you need.
    3. The voucher appears under Your vouchers.

    Activate a voucher to use it

    A new reward voucher shows Activate by and a date. Select Activate before then. From that moment its value is voucher credit.

    • Checkout applies your voucher credit automatically and shows it as Voucher credit applied.
    • Whatever an order doesn’t use stays for your next order.
    • You can have several active vouchers. Their credit adds up.
    A reward voucher you don’t activate within 180 days expires, and its Sand Dollars are gone. Activate it once you’ve redeemed it.

    Fees when you use voucher credit

    The processing fee is charged only on the part you pay by card or another method. If voucher credit covers the whole order, checkout says This Order is Free! and no fee is added. Select Complete Free Order.

    If voucher credit covers only part of the order, a small part is always left for your payment method, because payments have a minimum charge.

    Other vouchers you might see

    • Refund voucher: a refund on an order you paid with crypto or voucher credit. It’s active straight away and never expires. See How refunds work.
    • Voucher from PlayerBay: credit from our team. It’s active straight away.
    • Balance carried over: if you had a PlayerBay wallet balance before Sand Dollars became points, it’s now one voucher of the same value. It’s active and never expires.

    What you can’t do

    • Withdraw Sand Dollars, vouchers or voucher credit as cash.
    • Send them to another user.

    Sand Dollars you haven’t redeemed don’t expire. Only reward vouchers that aren’t activated in time do.

    No. Seller earnings are US dollars you withdraw, and they’re kept separate from Sand Dollars and vouchers. See Withdrawing your earnings.

    They arrive when the order completes, after its buyer protection ends. Orders under $1, the part paid with voucher credit, and refunded or cancelled orders earn none.

    It became a voucher called Balance carried over, worth the same amount. It’s already active, so checkout applies it automatically.

    Refund vouchers are for orders paid with crypto or voucher credit, which can’t be refunded to a card. Orders paid by card are always refunded to the card.

  • How refunds work

    If you paid by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay or Amazon Pay, the refund always goes back to that payment method, processing fee included. If you paid with crypto or voucher credit, you get a refund voucher instead. It’s active straight away and never expires; the processing fee isn’t refunded.

    When you get a refund

    • The seller didn’t deliver in time: you cancel the order yourself. See Cancelling an order the seller didn’t deliver.
    • The seller cancels the order: you’re refunded straight away.
    • The seller offers you a refund: after you contact them about a problem or raise a dispute, you accept their offer.
    • A dispute ends in your favor: you accept the seller’s refund offer, or our team refunds you. See How disputes work.

    Where the money goes

    You paid with Your refund
    Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay or Amazon Pay Back to your original payment method, processing fee included
    Crypto A refund voucher, without the processing fee
    Voucher credit only A refund voucher

    There’s no choice to make. It works the same whether you cancel an overdue order, accept a seller’s refund offer, the seller cancels, or our team refunds a dispute. The dialog shows where your refund goes before you confirm.

    If you paid partly with voucher credit, that part comes back as a refund voucher. Only the amount charged to your payment method goes back to it.

    How long it takes

    • Refund voucher: instant. It shows on your Rewards page, and checkout applies it to your next order automatically.
    • Original payment method: the site shows 5–10 business days for it to appear. After that, check with your bank.

    What’s refunded

    A refund to your original payment method includes the processing fee. A refund voucher covers the price you paid for the item; the processing fee isn’t refunded. In some cases, when PlayerBay is at fault, our team refunds the fee too.

    A partial refund from a dispute returns part of the price. The order stays completed.

    A refunded or cancelled order doesn’t earn Sand Dollars, because Sand Dollars only arrive when an order completes. Nothing is taken back from you.

    After an order is cancelled or refunded, its chat stays open for 3 days, then closes.

    If you open a chargeback with your bank, we can’t refund that order on PlayerBay until the bank decides. Use a dispute on PlayerBay instead. See Chargebacks.

    No. Refund vouchers are for orders paid with crypto or voucher credit, which can’t go back to a card. The voucher never expires, and checkout applies it to your next order.

    Check your order page: it shows the amount and where it was sent. If more than 10 business days have passed, ask your bank about it, then contact us with your order number if it still can’t find it.

  • Payment methods

    You can pay with a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and the other methods checkout lists for your country and order. Every order is charged in US dollars, and a processing fee is added on the part you pay by card or another method, never on the part covered by voucher credit. Orders fully covered by voucher credit have no processing fee.

    Methods you can use

    Checkout shows only the methods that work for your country, your order amount and what you’re buying. Cards work everywhere.

    Some methods aren’t offered for gift cards, because the payment provider’s own rules don’t allow it. If a method from the table isn’t on your checkout page, it isn’t available for that order. PayPal isn’t available.

    How to pay

    1. Open your order’s checkout page.
    2. Fill in the delivery details if the order asks for them.
    3. Under Choose Payment Method, pick a method.
    4. For a card, enter your card and billing details, then select Pay. For Apple Pay or Google Pay, use the wallet’s own button.
    5. Finish any check your bank asks for, such as a code or a prompt in your banking app.

    If you have active vouchers, checkout applies your voucher credit first. You pay the rest with your chosen method. See Sand Dollars and vouchers.

    Fees

    A processing fee is added to every order you pay for, whatever method you use. Some categories have their own processing fee. Checkout shows it in the order summary before you pay.

    On very small orders, a small adjustment is added so the payment meets the processor’s minimum charge. If your voucher credit covers the whole order, there’s no processing fee.

    Everything is charged in US dollars

    You can browse prices in another currency, but checkout and your statement show US dollars. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts the amount and can add its own fee. See Paying in your own currency.

    Where refunds go

    Orders paid through card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay or Amazon Pay are always refunded to the original payment method. Orders paid with crypto or voucher credit are refunded as a refund voucher. See How refunds work.

    The wallet button only shows when your device and browser support it and the wallet has a card saved. If it doesn’t show, pay by card or pick another method.

    If you paid by card or a card wallet, yes: the refund goes back to it with the processing fee included. A refund voucher, for crypto or voucher-credit orders, covers the item price only.

    You can combine voucher credit with one other method. You can’t split the rest between two cards.

  • Paying in your own currency

    Every PlayerBay order is charged in US dollars. You can choose another currency to see approximate prices while you browse, but checkout, receipts and refunds are in US dollars. If your card uses another currency, your bank converts the amount and can add a foreign transaction fee.

    Showing prices in your currency

    1. Select the language and currency button in the top bar or the footer. Site Settings opens.
    2. Under Currency, pick a currency.
    3. Select Save Changes.

    Listing prices are then converted at a recent exchange rate. They’re estimates. If your currency isn’t in the list, keep US dollars.

    What you’re actually charged

    Checkout always shows the total in US dollars, and that’s the amount sent to your payment method. Your bank or card issuer converts it into your currency at its own rate, so the amount on your statement can differ slightly from the converted price you saw while browsing.

    • Ask your bank whether it charges a foreign transaction fee on US dollar payments.
    • Some banks treat US dollar payments as international. If your card is declined, check that international payments are turned on. See Why was my card payment declined?

    Refunds

    Refunds are made in US dollars too. A refund to your card is converted back by your bank at its rate on that day, so it can differ slightly from what you paid in your currency. A refund voucher, for orders paid with crypto or voucher credit, is in US dollars.

    Seller earnings are in US dollars. The withdrawal method you choose decides what currency you receive. See Withdrawing your earnings.

  • Why was my card payment declined?

    Most declines come from your bank: it refused the payment, its verification step didn’t finish, or the card details didn’t match. Checkout tells you which one. Fix that, ask your bank to allow the payment, or pay with another card or method from the list at checkout.

    What the message means

    Message at checkout What to do
    Your bank declined this payment. Your bank refused it. Call your bank or check its app, then try again, or use another card.
    Your bank’s verification didn’t finish. Your bank asked you to confirm the payment (3D Secure) and it timed out or failed. Try again and complete the check in your banking app or the code it sends.
    Your card has insufficient funds. Add funds or use another card.
    The security code (CVC) is incorrect, or the card number or expiration date is invalid. Re-enter the card details exactly as printed.
    The postal code doesn’t match your card’s billing address. Enter the billing address your bank has on file.
    Your card has expired. Use a card that’s still valid.
    Too many attempts with this card. Wait a while before trying the same card again, or use another card or payment method.
    This payment couldn’t be completed. Use another card or payment method. We can’t share more detail about this decline.

    Check these before trying again

    • Online and international payments are turned on for your card. PlayerBay charges in US dollars, so some banks treat it as an international payment.
    • Your bank’s verification prompts reach you (banking app notifications or text messages).
    • Your billing name and address match what your bank has.
    • The card isn’t blocked for online purchases or gaming merchants. Some prepaid and virtual cards are.

    Still declined?

    1. Call your bank and ask it to allow the payment, then try again.
    2. Try another card.
    3. Pick another method at checkout, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. Checkout shows only the methods available to you.
    If several payment attempts fail in a row, checkout pauses new attempts for a few minutes. Wait, then try again.

    If your bank says it approved the payment but checkout still declines it, contact us with your order number.

    Your payment went through and our team is checking one detail before releasing the order. We email you when it’s done. If the review clears, the order goes ahead. If it doesn’t, you get a full refund.

    No. A declined payment isn’t charged. Checkout tells you when a payment fails, and the order stays unpaid until a payment goes through.

  • Paying with crypto

    When crypto is offered at checkout, you pick a coin and send the exact amount shown to the address shown before the timer runs out. Your order confirms once the payment arrives. Crypto orders are always refunded as a refund voucher, never back to a crypto address.

    Before you start

    • Crypto is available only when it appears under Choose Payment Method. It isn’t offered on every order.
    • Checkout shows the coins that work for your order’s amount: Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD Coin (USDC on ERC-20) and Litecoin. Each coin has a minimum, so very small orders can’t be paid in crypto.
    • The price and the processing fee are the same as for any other method. Payments are handled by NOWPayments.

    How to pay

    1. Under Choose Payment Method, pick crypto.
    2. Choose a coin.
    3. Select Continue to Crypto Payment.
    4. Copy the amount next to Send exactly and the address under To this address.
    5. Send the payment from your wallet or exchange before Time remaining reaches zero.
    6. Keep the page open or come back later. The order confirms once the network confirms your payment, and we email you.
    Send exactly the amount shown, in the coin you chose, on the network shown. If your exchange takes its fee out of the amount, less arrives and the order is put on hold.

    On smaller orders the rate isn’t fixed, and checkout says so. The final amount is calculated when the payment confirms and can differ slightly from the quote.

    If something goes wrong

    What happened What happens next
    The timer ran out before you paid The payment window closes and nothing is charged. Start again from checkout.
    You sent less than the amount shown The order is held and we email you your options: send the rest to the same address, or ask for a refund of what you paid. Follow the email; our team handles the refund.
    You sent a different coin Your funds are safe. Our support team contacts you to apply the payment to your order or refund it.

    If you sent a payment and the order hasn’t confirmed, contact us with your order number and the transaction ID.

    Refunds

    Crypto orders can’t be refunded to a crypto address. Any refund on a crypto order, from a cancellation or a dispute, arrives as a refund voucher. It’s active straight away, never expires, and checkout applies it to your next order. The processing fee isn’t refunded. See How refunds work.

    It depends on the coin and how busy its network is. Most payments confirm within minutes. You can leave the page; we email you when it confirms.

    Either crypto isn’t switched on right now, or your order is below the minimum for every coin. Choose another method.

  • How to create a Roblox game pass

    Some Robux offers are delivered through a game pass. You create a pass in one of your Roblox experiences, set it to the price the seller gives you and share its link in the order chat. The seller buys the pass. Roblox keeps 30% of the price and holds your Robux as pending for 5 days before they reach your balance.

    Before you buy

    When the delivery method is a game pass, checkout shows two notes:

    • “Game pass transfers take 5 days to process.”
    • “Roblox keeps a 30% fee on game pass sales, which isn’t covered by the seller.”

    So you receive 70% of the pass price, and only after Roblox’s pending period. Read the seller’s delivery instructions to see how they set the price.

    Create the pass

    1. Sign in to Roblox and open the Creator Hub (Create).
    2. Go to Creations and select one of your experiences. If you don’t have one, create a new experience first.
    3. Open Monetization, then Passes.
    4. Click Create pass. Enter a name, add an image if you like, then click Create pass again.
    5. Select the new pass, then open Sales.
    6. Turn on Item for Sale and enter the price the seller gave you in the order chat. Save.
    7. Go to Monetization, then Shop, and mark the pass Listed. Roblox only sells passes outside your experience when they’re listed.
    8. Copy the pass link and send it to the seller in the order chat.
    Set the exact price the seller asks for, and don’t change it or take the pass off sale until the seller confirms they’ve bought it.

    After the seller buys it

    1. The seller tells you in the order chat and marks the order as delivered.
    2. In Roblox, check your pending Robux. The purchase shows there until Roblox releases it.
    3. When the purchase shows as pending for the right amount, click Mark as Received on the order page.

    Roblox keeps 30% of every game pass sale. The seller doesn’t cover this fee.

    Check the link works and the pass is on sale at the agreed price, then tell the seller. If the delivery time passes, you can cancel the order. See Cancelling an order the seller didn’t deliver.

  • What “Linked email” means on account listings

    Every account on PlayerBay is sold with full email access. The Linked email banner at the top of an account listing tells you which email that is: the original email the account was registered with, a different email, or none, in which case you link your own after purchase. Click the banner on any listing to read what it means for that account.

    The three answers

    Sellers must answer the Linked email question for every account they list. You see their answer as a banner at the top of the listing:

    Banner What you get
    Original Email Access The email address the account was first registered with, and its login. This also shows the account hasn’t moved between unrelated emails.
    Full Email Access A different email from the one it was registered with, and its login.
    Link your own email No email is linked yet. After purchase you add your own, so only you can recover the account.

    Why email access matters

    Whoever controls the email can usually recover the account. With the email login you can:

    • change the account password and lock the previous owner out;
    • update recovery options and security questions;
    • turn on two-factor authentication with credentials you control.

    After you receive the account

    If an email comes with it

    1. Sign in to the email with the login the seller gave you.
    2. Change the email password.
    3. Turn on two-factor authentication for the email, then for the game account.
    4. If the game allows it, change the account’s email to one you own.

    If no email is linked

    1. Sign in with the account details from the seller.
    2. Link your own email address before you change anything else.
    3. Turn on two-factor authentication with your own device.
    4. Change the account password.
    For accounts with an email, don’t mark the order as received until you’ve signed in to that email. The confirmation asks you to tick “I have received access to the account email if one exists”.

    Ask in the order chat. If the seller doesn’t provide it, open a dispute from the order page and choose “Order is not as described”.

    Yes, where the game’s account filters include it.

  • How to find your Steam trade URL

    Your Steam trade URL lets a seller send items straight to your Steam inventory. In Steam, open your Inventory, click Trade Offers, then Who can send me Trade Offers? Copy the Trade URL in the Third-Party Sites section and paste it into the Steam trade URL field at checkout. Your inventory must be public.

    Copy your trade URL

    1. Sign in to Steam in your browser or the Steam app.
    2. Open your Inventory.
    3. Click Trade Offers.
    4. Click Who can send me Trade Offers?
    5. In the Third-Party Sites section, copy your Trade URL.

    It looks like https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffer/new/?partner=…&token=…. Copy all of it. Checkout only accepts a complete Steam trade link.

    Make your inventory public

    1. On your Steam profile, click Edit Profile.
    2. Open Privacy Settings.
    3. Set Inventory to Public.

    If your inventory is private, the seller can’t send you a trade.

    Use it at checkout

    Paste the link into Steam trade URL under Enter Delivery Details. We save it to your account, so your next checkout fills it in for you.

    Check you’re signed in to the Steam account that should receive the items. Sellers send to whichever account the link belongs to.
    Yes. A new URL replaces the old one, and old links stop working. Enter the new one at your next checkout.

  • How to find the best offer

    Open the game and category you want, then use Filters to narrow the listings by price, delivery time and game details. Sort by Recommended to see offers we rank highest, or by price. Before you buy, compare the seller’s positive rating and review count, the delivery time, and the full description.

    Narrow the list

    • Filters: set a Price range, a Delivery Time such as Instant or Within 1 hour, and the game details the category offers, such as rank, region or platform.
    • Search: type a word to search listing titles in the category, or click a tag.
    • Sort By: Recommended, Price: Low to High, Price: High to Low, Newest First and others.

    On currency, key and gift card pages, the Offers list shows every seller for the options you picked. Sort it by Recommended, Lowest Price, Fastest Delivery or Most Stock.

    What “Recommended” means

    Recommended ranks offers on the seller and the offer together:

    • The seller’s record: positive reviews, star rating, completed orders, on-time deliveries and disputes lost.
    • Delivery speed: faster delivery ranks higher.
    • Price: for currency, keys and top-ups, a lower price compared with similar offers ranks higher.

    Sellers can’t pay to rank higher.

    Compare before you buy

    Check Where to find it
    Seller rating Under the seller’s name: the share of positive reviews and the number of reviews. Click the name to see their profile and reviews.
    Verified seller The blue tick next to the seller’s name means they verified their ID with us. Banned sellers don’t show it.
    Delivery time On the listing. Instant means delivered on payment. Otherwise it’s the time the seller guarantees, which can differ when they’re online or offline.
    Description What’s included, how delivery works and anything you must provide. If there’s a problem later, our team reads it.
    Price Compare with similar offers. A price far below the rest is worth a question to the seller first.
    Accounts only The Linked email banner, and the free protection shown in the Warranty row.

    If anything is unclear, click Ask Seller About This Product and ask before you buy. Keep the conversation on PlayerBay.

    Never pay a seller outside PlayerBay. Buyer protection only covers orders paid on PlayerBay.

    Not always. A seller with a strong record and a clear description is often worth a little more. Compare rating, delivery time and description together.

    Prices can be shown in your local currency, but every payment is charged in US dollars. See Paying in your own currency.